Domino, also known as dominoes, is a game of skill and chance. In the basic game, a set of 28 tiles, each with a different number of pips on two adjacent sides, are shuffled and then placed in front of each player. The players draw a hand of dominoes and then play a tile on the end of the line that is open. Each subsequent tile must be played on top of a matching end to continue the chain, which can develop into a snake-line. The first player to reach the end of the line wins.
While most people know how to play the simple game of domino, many do not realize that there are a variety of ways that the games can be arranged. Artists and hobbyists use dominoes to create stunning displays of intricate, curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, stacked walls, or 3-D structures such as towers and pyramids.
To arrange a display, artists start by considering the theme or purpose of their work and brainstorming images or words they want to use. Then they carefully plan how they will arrange the dominoes, creating a layout or string on paper that shows the direction in which the dominoes will fall. The design may be as simple or elaborate as the artist wants. It might include straight or curved lines, grids that form pictures, or walls that can be moved to another location when the display is complete.
During the planning process, the artist will also decide how to make each domino “snake” around the arranged layout to best accomplish the goal of the piece. When the design is completed, the artist can test it out by making the first domino fall. If it works, he or she then begins putting the dominoes on the table in their proper sequence.
Sometimes a domino game can become blocked, meaning no one is able to make another move. If this happens, the last player to play a tile must take all of the remaining tiles from his or her hand without looking at them and place them back in the stock. Then, the next player may begin playing.
In some games, the player who plays a double on the opening of the game (known as “the set,” “the down,” or “the lead”) may immediately play a second tile on that double. This is called a spinner and, depending on the rules of the game, may be used to gain an advantage.
The domino effect is a term that refers to the effect of one thing causing another thing to happen, either good or bad. For example, if you do something illegal or immoral, it can have a domino effect that affects the lives of those closest to you and causes them to change their behaviors. This is why authors often use the domino effect to explain how a character’s actions could impact others and possibly cause them to change their own behavior.